Shoe sole and molds for makig the sole

ABSTRACT

A shoe sole includes a chamber defined in an underside of the heel portion and an air-permeable member is received in the chamber. An air escaping area including a plurality of passages is defined in the underside of the body and communicates with the chamber. A plurality of holes are defined through a top of the boy and communicate with the air escaping area. A bottom piece is attached to the underside of the body and cover the air escaping area and the chamber. The sole is made by way of molding and by foam material.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a shoe sole including a chamber inwhich an air-permeable member is received. A plurality of passages andholes communicate with the chamber so as to have a ventilation featurewhen the user wears shoes with the soles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional shoe sole is disclosed in FIG. 1, and generally includesa PU body 10 with a recess 11 defined in an underside thereof and aflexible bladder 12 is attached to the body 10 and received in therecess 11. When the user wears the shoes, the bladder 12 provides acushion feature to protect the ankles of the user's feet. A bottom piece14 is attached to the underside of the body 10 of the sole. A passage121 is defined in the underside of the body 10 and a chamber 13 islocated in a front end of the body 10 of the sole plurality of holes131. A valve 121A is located in communication between the passage 121and the chamber 13. Air in the passage 121 is squeezed out via the valve121A and goes out via holes 131 defined through a top of the body 10 ofthe sole. It is noted that the connection of the bladder 12 and the body10 cannot be maintained for a long period of time because the adhesivebecomes stiff and hardened and the bladder 12 tends to be peeled offfrom the body 10 of the sole. The processes for adhering the bladder 12to the body 10 of the sole is a time consuming job.

The present invention intends to provide a shoe sole that includes achamber at the heel portion of the sole and an air-permeable member isreceived in the chamber. A passage is defined in an underside of thesole and includes a plurality of branch passages which are incommunication with holes defined through the sole. The sole is made byfoam material and the chamber and passages are formed simultaneously bymolding the sole.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a shoe sole which comprises a bodyincluding a thick heel portion and a chamber is defined in an undersideof the heel portion. An air escaping area is defined in the underside ofthe body and in communication with the chamber. A plurality of holes aredefined through a top of the boy and communicate with the air escapingarea. An air-permeable member is received in the chamber. A bottom pieceis attached to the underside of the body and covers the air escapingarea and the chamber.

The present invention will become more obvious from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswhich show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment inaccordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view to show a conventional shoe sole;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view to show the shoe sole of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 shows the shoe sole of the present invention is installed in ashoe;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view to show the shoe sole of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 shows the mold assembly for making the shoe sole of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 shows the sole is formed in the mold assembly;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view to show the shoe sole of the presentinvention;

FIG. 8 shows air is squeezed when the air-permeable member is pressed;

FIG. 9 shows two valves are located beside the air-permeable member ispressed;

FIG. 10 shows air is squeezed when the air-permeable member is pressedand goes out from the valve;

FIG. 11 is an exploded view to show another embodiment of the shoe soleof the present invention, and

FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view to show the shoe sole of the presentinvention in FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4 and 7, the shoe sole of the present inventioncomprises a body 30 made of PU foam material and including a thick heelportion 32. A chamber 320 is defined in an underside of the heel portion32 and a convex portion protrudes upward from the top of the body 30 ofthe sole and located corresponding to the chamber 320. An air escapingarea 33 is defined in the underside of the body 30 and includes apassage 21 and a plurality of branch passages 330. The passage 321 is incommunication between the chamber 320 and branch passages 330. Aplurality of holes 331 are defined through a top of the boy 30 andcommunicate with the branch passages 330 of the air escaping area 33. Anair-permeable member 40 is received in the chamber 320 and includes aplurality of upright holes 41 defined therethrough.

A bottom piece 50 is attached to the underside of the body 30 and coversthe air escaping area 33 and the chamber 320. A fabric layer 31 isattached to the top of the body 30 of the sole and has a plurality ofthrough holes 310 which are in alignment with the holes 330 in the body30 of the sole.

Further referring to FIG. 8, the sole is inserted in the shoe 55 andwhen the user steps on the convex portion, the chamber 320 is squeezedand the air-permeable member 40 is deformed. Air in the chamber 320 ispushed through the passage 321 and the sub-passages 330, and escapesfrom the holes 331 and through holes 310. This provides a goodventilation to the interior space of the shoe 55.

FIGS. 9 and 10 shows that two valves 36 are located beside theair-permeable member 40. One of which allows air to go out from thechamber 320 and the other one allows the air to enter into the chamber320.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the sole can be made to have the chamber320 and the air escaping area 33 defined in a top thereof and theair-permeable member 40 is received in the chamber 320. A top piece 500is attached to the top of the body 30 of the sole to cover the chamber320 and the air escaping area 33. A plurality of holes 501 are definedthrough the top piece 500 and communicate with the air escaping area 33.A fabric layer 31 is attached to the top of the top piece 500 and has aplurality of through holes 310 which are in alignment with the holes 501in the top piece 500.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, the mold assembly 60 for making the shoesole comprises a first mold 61 having a first concavity 611 defined in asurface thereof and a second mold 62 having a second concavity 621defined in a surface thereof. A plurality of rods 611A extend from aninside of the first concavity 611 and a protrusion 621A extends from aninside of the second concavity 621. A first ridge 621C and a pluralityof second ridges 621B extend from the inside of the second concavity621. The first ridge 621C is connected between the protrusion 621A andthe second ridges 621B. The fabric layer 31 is put in the firstconcavity 611 and PU foam material is poured in the first and secondconcavities 611 and 621 when the two surfaces of the first and secondmolds 61 and 62 are matched with each other. The mold assembly 60 isheated to let the foam material fill the space of the first and secondconcavities 611, 621. The chamber 320, the air escaping area 33 and theholes 331 are formed simultaneously.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with thepresent invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art thatfurther embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

1. A shoe sole comprising: a body including a thick heel portion and achamber defined in an underside of the heel portion, an air escapingarea defined in the underside of the body and communicating with thechamber, a plurality of holes defined through a top of the boy andcommunicating with the air escaping area; an air-permeable memberreceived in the chamber, and a bottom piece attached to the underside ofthe body and covering the air escaping area and the chamber.
 2. The soleas claimed in claim 1, wherein the air escaping area includes a passageand a plurality of branch passages, the passage being in communicationbetween the chamber and branch passages.
 3. The sole as claimed in claim1, wherein a convex portion protrudes upward from the top of the body ofthe sole and is located corresponding to the chamber.
 4. The sole asclaimed in claim 1 further comprising a fabric layer attached to the topof the body of the sole and having a plurality of through hole which arein alignment with the holes in the body of the sole.
 5. The sole asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the air-permeable member includes aplurality of upright holes defined therethrough.
 6. The sole as claimedin claim 1 further comprising two valves located beside theair-permeable member.
 7. A mold assembly for making a shoe sole,comprising: a first mold having a first concavity defined in a surfacethereof and a plurality of rods extending from an inside of the firstconcavity, and a second mold having a second concavity defined in asurface thereof and a protrusion extending from an inside of the secondconcavity, a first ridge and a plurality of second ridges extending fromthe inside of the second concavity, the first ridge connected betweenthe protrusion and the second ridges.